The Power of a God
by Lord Purple Heart
Summary: At peace, the residents of Gamindustri are living happy and fun lives. Their sole wish was for their peace to last forever. But when something unheard of in the whole of the Hyperdimension Universe happens, what will be the result? With this newcomer, will the peace be shattered? Or will a new era unfold onto the world of Gamindustri?
1. Game: Powering Up

**The Power of a God**

**Game: Powering Up **

For as long as I could remember, life's been spitting in my face and stepping on my toes at every opportunity it could find.

I have been avoided by most people for as long as I could remember, from kindergarten all the way up to 2'nd year high school. I don't know what it's about, but people tended to find me strange. Like they couldn't approach me, even if they wanted to.

I never understood it.

I was a fairly ordinary boy in my 3'rd year of high school. I participated in every sport and extracurricular activity available, which made my body tough and strong. It also kept my mind sharp and smart, making school no trouble at all for me. But even with that, I didn't do it to get smart. I didn't do it to get strong. I didn't do it for those kinds of things.

I did it because people, the adults around me, told me that it would help me find friends. My parents and my teachers had told me that it was the way that they had found their own friends, and so I figured that it would help me.

But it seemed like no matter how much effort I poured into the work, my classmates just drifted further away from me. Every time I tried to reach out to them the way that people told me to, they just kept moving away.

Like there was some sort of impregnable barrier in between me and the rest of society. It didn't work. Nothing seemed to.

Then, one day...

I turned to games. To anime, to manga.

And I found...stories. Tales and legends of great power and adventure that no one in real life could ever hope to achieve. Stories of love that transcended definition, that I felt through the pages as if it were my own emotion.

And...I saw stories of what I really wanted.

I saw stories of my own greatest desire. What I wanted more than anything else in the world.

The greatest friends that one could ever asked for. Friends that would help each other through thick and thin, friends who braved mountain ranges and fought evil together.

Friends that swore to live each day together with smiles and laughs that would ring with happiness for the rest of their lives. Friends that could tell each other their secrets and fears, and not get worried over not being rejected. The best of friends, people whose bonds were stronger than things like beliefs, ideals and the opinions and meddling of other people.

Something I envied.

But I enjoyed the stories nonetheless. The books and the games never tried to drift away from me, no matter how much I played them. No matter how much time I spent around them, the books and games would never get tired of me.

I didn't have to communicate with them. I didn't have to go through the trouble, or to make things harder for myself.

And I began carrying those books around with me. I played those games as often as I could in the spare time I could.

Even when I was the Student Council President, no one questioned my tastes. It surprised me, actually. No one seemed to discriminate against me for what I liked to do.

But when I was in the classroom one day, I overheard chattering and whispers. And through them, I learned the reason why.

People didn't have to discriminate me for my tastes. They were already shielding themselves from me, blocking me out from the rest of the students.

But unlike before, it didn't hurt as much when I heard it.

It didn't. It was greatly lessened because I now had something to turn to, something that softened the blow. Something that I could rely on.

Something that made my life a little more worth living.

And then, one day...

I was perusing the game shelves, looking for a nice new game to buy since my old ones were getting stale. Since my part-time job wages had been handed out the day before, I had already decided to splurge them on at least one game. And as my eyes scanned the aisles and the rows, looking for something to try...they landed on a single game.

Hyperdimension Neptunia

At the time, I felt extremely curious. I didn't know anything about it, but it looked like a game that would be the perfect match for my love of anime and manga combined with my love for video games.

And I bought it.

And I played it.

The novelty and nostalgia of the gameplay, the characters' unique and lovable personalities, the comical humor and the mesmerizing plot. The art, the scenes...everything about it. I loved it. I couldn't stop playing it. Day after day, after my homework was done, the first I would do was turn on the game and play. I continued this cycle for weeks and months, and I finished the game easily. Unable to control myself, I purchased the second game and finished it a paltry few weeks after. Obtaining every ending possible, I divvied up my wages and purchased the third game without any hesitation at all.

And in a few months' time, I finished Hyperdimension Neptunia: Victory.

I fell in love with the game, no doubt about it.

A unique brand of force began to drive me, bringing me to the brink of obsession. Without further thought, I began focusing more on my athletics than before. Kendo, gymnastics, track team, soccer, basketball, biking, boxing and even different sports like fencing, swimming and judo.

Martial arts. I wanted to hone my body, to be strong like the heroes in the stories that I loved.

I wanted to become fast, strong and impossible to defeat. Before long, I found myself standing on the pinnacle of the winners for every sport in school. First place, where everyone who challenged me would lose.

At this point, even delinquents who were armed with any variety of weapons couldn't hope to match my level of fighting skill.

It was like becoming a high-leveled character in the midst of the prologue.

But even so...

That kind of gap only made it harder to make friends. Before long, I had lost any and all hope of socializing with my classmates.

Then...

I found myself on the roof of my home, staring up at the night sky. The stars, mostly blocked by the corruption that is human pollution, were still shining beautifully. As I gazed at them, feeling at peace even with the deep sadness brooding within my chest, my eye caught four twinkling stars. One shone with a slightly purplish light, which confused me. Another, right next to it, twinkled with a light that made me think of the color black. The light next to that was as white as white could get, standing out from the other stars. The last one, a bit above the white one, glittered with a slight tone of green.

They were arranged together, brighter than the other stars around them, in a diamond-like shape. It felt as if just by looking at their own shining light, strength and serenity were being poured into my spirit. Just by looking at those stars...I felt like there was something watching over me.

Prompting me to keep going.

And on those stars, I whispered a wish that I knew would not come true. A bittersweet wish that escaped my lips before I could stop them.

I heard my own voice, deep and raspy, whisper as if I were speaking like they could hear me:

"Please...let me see Gamindustri for myself. Let me be happy in the place where I want to be, instead of wasting my time here in this harsh reality. My only wish, is that."

My thoughts wandered as I stared at the stars.

_Life is cruel, unforgiving, blunt and harsh. There are double standards, subjective ideals and lies. _

_There's no way to tell what to do and if it's right or wrong unless you do it and see for yourself. There's no way to change your relationships and progress with other people once you make a mistake or say something by accident, even if you didn't mean it or understand what it could mean. _

_People will shut you out because of fear, or because they don't understand what they see. And they won't want to understand. They accept what other people tell them, and act selfishly just because they want to enjoy life without considering the consequences. _

_Nothing lasts forever, and people will be forgotten. Conflict is inevitable in this world, and bonds are shattered easily, never to be repaired or restored to what it once was. _

_Life here is just..._

_A shitty game. _

Those thoughts still dominated my mind as I decided to turn on my computer, and I clicked on the link for the website that I watched the animation of Hyperdimension Neptunia on. At the same time, I turned on the game and went to the official website and began browsing. As the game turned on and the anime began to play, I smiled to myself.

_As long as I have these games, anime and manga, I won't need to bother much with the real world. _

Suddenly, the world around me blew wide open. Flashing colors of every hue and shade threatened to rob me of my eyesight. As I stood up in alarm, the laptop screen in front of me suddenly went black. As I turned in panic, the T.V screen also went dark. Suddenly, both screens flew off their mounts, aligned with each other and floated towards the ceiling as the world continued to flash with various different colors.

I felt my head beginning to get pressured on both of my temples, and I began massaging them as I stared up at the monitors that were hovering above my head. The one directly over my head, the laptop monitor, began spinning in a clockwise direction at a speed comparable to a modern helicopter rotor. The television monitor did the same, only revolving counter-clockwise.

_What the heck is going on?!  
_

I began to hear a high-pitched whine become slightly audible, and I covered my ears to defend my senses against the offensive noise. I looked up at the screens, which suddenly blared to life and threatened to blind my eyes. I squinted to avoid that, instead staring at the lights onscreen.

The colors were now flashing purple and white, shifting between the two at godspeed. The transition speed alone was dizzying, forcing me to one knee in order to balance myself.

I felt my body pitch forward, as if it were suddenly devoid of its strength. Throwing my arms forward, I hit the ground and braced myself. But even my arms began to lose their strength, and my face struck my floor mercilessly.

Soon enough, my eyes began to feel too heavy to keep open. But before they shut, I watched my own hands begin to change and morph. They began disintegrating into varying different colors of tiny pixels, which floated into the air and began dissipating into thin air.

* * *

"Neptune, please do some work!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, trying to get the lazy girl off of her rear end. She refused to budge, instead complaining about the work and my 'incessant nagging' over it all as she continued to click away at the controller.

It was already near midnight in Gamindustri, and in the nation of Planeptune, its beloved Console Patron Unit was slacking off the way she always does.

It never helped when her little sister, the CPU Candidate, loved her big sister enough to spoil her silly.

It warms my heart when I watch the two spend time together, but it irritates me to no end when I see her not doing her job. And as such, I act on that impulse.

After all, I do all the work that she was supposed to. The only thing I was incapable of doing was going out and defeating monsters, as my size and lack of physical strength left me unable to do so without risking critical injury.

But Neptune and Nepgear have not done a scribble nor a swing of work all day, and it irked me as it always does. Even if it has become something I've come to live with, striving for the improvement of my nation and assisting the CPU whenever needed is what I do as an Oracle. Naturally, I would do and say such things to my own CPU for that purpose.

But today...things just seemed especially off.

I felt a sigh of fatigue escape my lips as I floated back into my office, which was filled with paperwork and the like.

_Well, I can understand why the active and happy-go-lucky Neptune would not want to do these kinds of things. I myself do not enjoy it, as much as people find it surprising. _

_Why do people think that I enjoy working? _

It was a question that puzzled me to no end, and one that I kept encountering in my conversations with citizens and Basilicom staff. For some unknown reason, people seem to presume that I am a person whose life's enjoyment is to work.

As if I truly enjoy every minute of watching my pen write ink on dozens of paperwork.

I shooed away the idle thoughts and lowered my book to hover on the same level as the table. I stretched my arms and prepared myself to start the meticulous work once again.

As I placed my hands on the table and brought another piece of paper towards me, I found myself smiling.

Even with how my irresponsible CPU acts, and how irresponsible our CPU Candidate acts as well, our nation was bound to remain stagnant for a long time to come.

But if this peace were to last as long as my CPU and CPU Candidate remained the way they were...I wouldn't mind the irresponsibility.

Suddenly, I realized what my thoughts were drifting to, and I slapped my own cheeks to bring myself back to Gamindustri.

_What do you think you're thinking, Histoire?! If you take that kind of attitude, you'll never get those two to straighten out! And if we don't, our nation won't become great! _

I shook my head, ridding myself of all unnecessary thought, and focused on the paperwork in front of me. Grabbing the pen nearby, which was larger than a good portion of my very own body, I got to work.

But as the night dragged on, and the work retained it's tediousness, I couldn't help but feel satisfied with the way things were now. The smile that I had fought off before crept back onto my face, stronger than the last.

_I will keep working. For my sake, for Neptune's and Nepgear's sake. And for the sake of our nation. _

That thought was what kept me persevering as I worked through the night, never stopping for breaks.

* * *

I gazed out from the window.

Below, the twinkling lights sparkled with beauty I couldn't help but feel entranced by. I could see our citizens, bustling and busy even at this hour of the night, shuffling and walking around on the ground below. I smiled to myself, which I think is a rare thing to happen. I felt a single lock of my silver hair drift past my cheek and make contact with it, and I brushed it aside to keep it from causing the sensation again.

I found it distracting. Even if I were just trying to relax.

"Kei."

I heard the voice of my friend and leader behind me, and I turned around to greet her. Purely by reflex, I bowed deeply.

"Good evening, Lady Noire. Forgive me for slacking off from my work, but I wished to use some of my spare time to relax. I shall get back to the work soon."

The girl across from me just gave me a look of surprise, followed by a sigh and a look of disbelief. She smiled, and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright. You and I have been doing plenty of work today, since the morning. Not to mention, we've had Uni around to help us. Relax all you like, Kei. I expect you to get back to work after you're done, though." She said, her deep crimson eyes reflecting the kindness and earnest personality that was Noire's alone. I couldn't help but close my eyes and smile back, then I bowed my head slightly and removed her hand from my shoulder with my own.

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I shall make some tea. If you would like some, please tell me." I offered to her as I walked past her, my senses tingling for the taste of the tea that was given to us in the Lastation Basilicom, courtesy of Planeptune's Oracle, Histoire.

"Ah, I'd like some. I'll sit with you here, and we can both take a breather." Noire responded, pulling up a chair and sitting adjacent to mine own.

It was only a few minutes later that I came back with the freshly brewed tea, and I offered one of the cups to the goddess. Noire thanked me courteously and took the teacup out of my hands. I heard the quiet sound of the chair creak when I sat down, and the quiet slurp that was emitted from Noire's lips as she began sipping her tea. Together, we sat in silence and enjoyed the silent companionship as we gazed out at the beauty of our nation in the night.

The splendor of Lastation.

For minutes, we sat and continued to enjoy the taste of the Planeptunian tea. The rich and strong taste of the drink perfectly reminded me of the nation's irresponsible leaders. It filled me with the energy to keep working, as well as enough excessive energy for me to do and say things only the over-energetic Neptune would ever consider.

I took a deep breath and harnessed the energy, directing it into a different part of my being. Regulating the amount of energy I was allocating into the different parts of my body, I felt like I could continue working for the rest of the month without stopping.

"...isn't this is a little too strong, Kei?" I could hear Noire to my right, trying not to let the new-found energy bestowed by the tea get to her. I was pretty sure that she was capable of completing all the current quests in the Guild if she were to accept them all now.

"Unfortunately, this was the lightest possible dose that I could administer. Any more, and we'll end up like Planeptune's CPU and CPU Candidiate." I muttered, trying not to imagine what would happen if we were to reach that state.

Lastation would surely begin to decline.

I smiled to myself once again and stood up from the chair, and I walked to the window. I placed my hand onto the glass, letting the ice-cold substance fill my fingers with their chill.

"...it sure is peaceful, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." I heard the sound of the chair being pushed back as she stood up. Footstep after footstep rang out, and I felt her presence close to my side. Together, we smiled down on the nation that we had built up together.

_It'd be great if this peace lasted forever. _

"Well, enough of this. I'm going back to work." Beside me, Noire shook her head with a smile and turned her back to the lights and the hustle of the city below. I felt my own feet move in tandem as I spun on my heel and joined her.

* * *

I felt my drained energy beginning to replenish, now that my job has become easier.

To be exact, two times easier.

"...mm..." The sound of Rom mumbling her sleep as she was whisked away and preoccupied in whatever dreamland she was in was extremely adorable. The sound, like that of a purring kitten, was befittingly cute of her.

I tightened my grip for the bed-sheets, which she had neglected to use, and tucked them over her small body. Feeling a surge of motherly love sprout in my chest, I bent over and kissed her forehead lightly.

"...no, big sis...my candy..." From my right, I could hear her sister, Ram, mumbling nonsense in her sleep as well. From my standpoint, however, she was far more mischievous. Regardless of her aptitude for making both me and her big sister angry, I pecked her on the forehead as well. She let out a strange sound when I did, and I chuckled to myself.

Carefully treading across the floor so I wouldn't make any loud excess noise, I closed the door silently behind me. Once the sound of the door's mechanism clicked, I began walking normally again across the hall. The sound of my footsteps was muffled by the carpet, anyway. I wouldn't have to worry about stealth now.

I felt like it was time to visit my room and get things inside there in order before I take my time off from being a babysitter. As I reached my room, I noticed that the door itself was left slightly ajar. The light inside was on.

_Is someone inside? _

The thought itself began to inspire different ideas in my mind, down to the basic and extreme possibility of robbery. But being that this was the Basilicom of Lowee, no one in the whole of Gamindustri would risk robbing the home of my Lady.

Lest they risk the horror that was Lady White Heart on an angry hammer spree.

I cringed at the thought of the horror that was sure to ensure if such a thing happened in reality. I was responsible in part for such a blunder, as I was the Oracle of this nation. And I would rather not forfeit my life to Blanc at all costs, if I could help it.

_I shall eliminate this issue before Lady Blanc ever catches wind of it!_

Slowly, I let my right hand reach for the door. Hesitantly, I stuck my head in as I pushed the door even further open.

And suddenly, I felt a pang of pain on the top of my head as the world suddenly went black. A metallic ring resonated through the air, and I began clawing at my face.

My nails and fingers encountered metal instead of my face, and I grasped the bottom of the object. With a heave, I squeezed the unknown object off my face. As my eyes were once again able to perceive color and the rest of the world, what I looked at in my hands filled me with irritation and resignation.

It was a bucket.

_Those two kids..._

I could imagine them snickering in their sleep as this had taken place, and I couldn't help but sigh in defeat. I removed the bucket and walked to my personal bathroom, placing it near the toilet. Hopefully, I'd be able to dispose of it properly later on.

_Perhaps I can ask the Basilicom Staff to take care of the bucket for me..._

As my thoughts drifted to this, a light knocking on my door sounded out. I stood up and poked my head around the corner, wondering who it would be.

"Mina, you're soaked. What happened?" A quiet yet concerned voice, complete with a near-expressionless face and brown eyes that still managed to glisten with the light of worry and curiosity.

"Did I interrupt you while you were bathing? Are we not going to stay on the terrace?"

"No, not to worry, Lady Blanc! I'll be out shortly, so please wait for me for a small moment." I waved my hands in panic and surprise before gesturing in the direction of the garden-like balcony that was connected to Blanc's room.

"Mm. Well then, don't take too long." With a quiet smile, Blanc

Within moments, I had changed clothes and taken a bath. I rushed towards the CPU's room. I threw the door open without a second thought and hurriedly scanned the room for the girl.

I could see the top of her white and brown hat poking out over a chair that was placed in the midst of her balcony, and I walked over to the seat. As I walked into Blanc's field of vision, she shot me a smile and offered me a seat near her, separated by a single table. On that table, there was a chess set already set up. Next to it were two cups of hot chocolate, varied colors of marshmallows floating in the steaming liquid.

"Sit down. You've earned the break." Blanc muttered as she picked up a cup and began gulping down small portions of the contents.

I smiled and took the cup off the table, savoring the smell of the drink. I shook it a bit, and the hot chocolate churned like a raging ocean, with the marshmallows like tiny sea vessels that were under the threat of sinking. The thought amused me, and I smiled as I drank a bit. The warmth spread from my throat to my chest, and then it filled my body. I sighed contently and turned my attention to the picturesque view from our position.

This balcony oversaw and overlooked the whole of Lowee, and the cold weather and snow that came with it. Tonight, however, it snowed not in the least. And as I looked at the view below, I could see the small figures of people passing by and going about their business. I smiled to myself as I saw a couple walk along with their child in tow, and the faces of Blanc's little sisters came to mind.

"...I prefer it this way. It's so much more peaceful." Blanc muttered nonchalantly as she took yet another sip of her drink. I couldn't help but nod silently as she said that, drinking some more chocolate myself.

_Oh, wait. Where..._

A question suddenly popped into my mind, and I turned to my CPU.

"Lady Blanc?" I began, trying to catch her attention. She turned to me, a courteous look of questioning on her face.

"Who made this hot chocolate?"

Upon hearing the question, she grinned and took another sip. Instead, she shifted in her seat and placed her hand onto the White King on the chess set in between us.

"I'll tell you who it was if you win." She responded, a little of a challenging tone beginning to sprout in her voice.

"I don't plan on losing." I responded, my own hands tingling for competition. As Blanc moved her Knight forward, I placed a Pawn a space forward.

As the night dragged on, Lady Blanc was the one who won. She smiled a serene smile and stood up from her seat, taking the cup with her. She walked out and was just about to exit the room when she called out to me.

"Mina...keep up the good work. That's what Rom and Ram wanted to say." She said before she swung the door open and left.

I smiled and stared down at the contents of the cup, now empty. I sighed and thought back to the game.

_Who would've known that those two would've asked Blanc to teach them how to make hot chocolate...?_

_Lady Blanc, I will keep this nation safe. I will make sure it stays a world where you and I can play chess again, and where the little ones will keep playing around and being themselves. _

_Maybe if I work hard enough, maybe...just maybe...I'll beat you in chess, Lady Blanc. _

That dangerous thought crossed my mind for a moment, before I remembered just what happened the last time Blanc lost to someone in chess. I couldn't quite recall if it involved sulking or stabbing, and I didn't really want to remember.

* * *

The tingling was still there.

I rubbed my cheeks, which was still in pain, and I traveled down the stairs towards the ground floor of the Basilicom. I smiled as I did, even with the burning sensation racing down my cheek.

Slap 1: Attempting to see my beloved CPU bathe in the shower.

Slap 2: Attempting to wash her back and help her bathe...in all sorts of places.

Slap 3: Attempting to play a game with her and dying easily in the midst of an online battle.

Slap 4: Attempting to extricate the goddess from playing her game and cuddle with me in my room.

Slap 5: Repeat Slap 4.

_I was just trying to get some skin-ship in, and she hit me 5 times. _

The fifth one was the hardest one, of course.

I made my way back down, deciding to work a bit more before turning in for the night. As I reached my room, I took my hairband off and threw it onto the bed-sheets.

In a few minutes, I had already bathed and changed into a set of light green pajamas. Neatly folding my used clothes and my ribbon into a neat pile and setting it on the side, I felt the drowsiness begin to come into my mind. I covered my mouth as a yawn came on, and I laid down on the bed with my face directed towards the ceiling.

_Ah, Vert..._

My beloved "big sister" was still upstairs, pulling another all-nighter on her online games. I could hear her complaining to whoever she was playing with over the microphone, screaming some nonsense about appropriate magic skills and battle formations. I only felt negative emotions whenever I could hear her talk about this. After all, she was such a beautiful girl with a bombshell body and an intelligent mind. To me, I couldn't understand why she chose to waste her time on such things when she could be out doing much more fulfilling things.

I decided to stop my thoughts right there and then. After all, I have no right to tread upon and judge what she chose to do for fun. What she does for fun is her choice, and hers alone.

Besides, she's a goddess. If there was one upside, it was that she would never change her appearance. No matter how long she played her games, she would not pale or get fat. She wouldn't lose the time she spent playing, since she can't die of age.

_She'll always stay by my side. _

I smiled as this thought crossed my mind, and I stared at the ceiling again. As the night wore on for another hour, I could hear nothing but the cicadas outside and the sound of Vert's game from the floor above me.

_...what am I doing?_

I sighed and stood up from the bed. I walked all the way to Vert's bedroom and knocked on the door quietly. I heard her voice through the door speak to her online comrades for a moment, then I heard the sound of feet shuffling unsteadily due to lack of sleep.

The door creaked open, and I saw the girl's face pop out from the side. Eyebags had already begun to form under her eyes, but I decided not to mind it.

"Um...would you mind letting me play with you again?" I asked her, fidgeting uncontrollably in place.

"...sure, Chika. Come in." She let the door open wider, and I felt my heart leap. The chance to spend a lot of time with Vert doing the things she loves to do was more than enough for me. As I walked inside, gleefully dancing in my mind, only one thought stood out.

_I wish that this peaceful and fun life with Vert would stay the same for as long as time stands._

* * *

Four Oracles, separated by nation and loyalty, were united by one wish.

For Gamindustri to remain the peaceful world that it was now.

But...

Tonight, this fictional world was going to be rocked and shocked by one of the most shocking events ever to detail it's colorful history.

The coming of a God.


	2. Game: Start

**Game: Start**

Darkness.

I felt like massive metal plates were pressing against my temples, and I could feel nausea. I felt like I was about to vomit, and I could tell that the bile was trying to rise out of my chest. My eyes were shut tight. So strongly that I could feel strained muscle on my face tingle with pain. Keeping my eyes closed, I reached for my face and began to massage it to lessen the tension and alleviate some of the pain.

_Oh god...what happened?  
_

This thought ran through my mind, and it prompted me to open my eyes slowly and warily. As I did, I did my best to use my aching mind to process what I was seeing.

I was lying on my back on a prickly yet soft bed of grass, smooth to my skin. I was facing the sky, which was impossibly clear and beautiful. Countless amounts of stars adorned the scene, sparkling and twinkling far more brightly than I have ever known stars to be. The background of this portrait of stars was a deep blue, deeper than the pictures of the sea I often saw online.

I braced my gut and my arms and pushed myself into a sitting position. I took a good look around me.

From what I could tell, I was in a clearing. The wind, pleasantly cool to my skin, brushed past me and rustled my hair. I moved my bangs away from my eyes and observed the rest of my surroundings. Trees that were clearly larger than I was loomed around me. They did not extend any ominous shadows, though. Instead, they looked full of joy and life.

I took a deep breath and decided to assess the situation.

Where am I?

This question spurred me on to action, and I stood up on my feet. My nausea and dizziness were still in effect, and I felt the world tilt diagonally for a moment. I stuck my right foot out and threw my arms out to regain my balance, even when the scenery around me was revolving like a top.

I waited, focusing only on the sound of my breathing and trying to regain my senses. It lasted only how many minutes before I felt comfortable enough to try taking another step. As my foot struck the grass and supported my leg, I felt only a miniscule amount of the spinning earth.

_Well, for now, I suppose I should find some sort of civilization or something else of the sort. Find out where I am and what's going on. _

Once again, I began sweeping my eyes over the trees and the greenery. All I could see was the brown of tree bark and the vegetation of the forest around me. My eyes sought something I could use, like the light that might emanate from a town or a tall man-made landmark.

I couldn't see anything, though.

I felt the vomit begin to threaten come back up, and I forced it back down by sheer willpower. I began taking deep breaths, rattled slightly with hiccups, and closed my eyes once more to calm myself down. It was a short amount of time before I stopped, and I reasserted control over my body.

_Okay...Oh wait! My phone! _

If I had signal, I would at least be able to get some sort of clue. Frantically, I clutched at my pocket and grabbed my phone that laid inside. Pulling it out, I stared at it.

No signal. Not a single bar.

I cursed to myself and placed it inside my pocket again before running a small inventory check on the rest of my body.

The only items I had left on my person were a wallet, a digital sports watch and a black handkerchief.

In other words, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no provisions.

A perfect recipe for certain and slow death, if I didn't do anything to change my situation soon.

As I placed the items in my pocket, my ears picked up on a sound. It was the sound of leaves being rustled and moved aside, and the sound of grass being stepped on.

By something.

I felt the panic begin to rise in my system as I backed off from the direction of the sound as quickly as possible without making too much noise. Tensing my knees, I got into a crouching position and remained perfectly still. I lowered my breathing to the point where I sounded like I was dying. I felt seconds pass painfully slowly as I kept my stance, trying my best not to bolt in the other direction.

For all I know, it could be a deadly creature.

As I gazed at my watch, I watched the time tick by as if it were doused in ice water. I felt the once refreshingly cold wind begin to bite into my skin as if ants were biting into skin with jaws laced by teeth of ice. Even with that unpleasant sensation, I felt the sweat begin to trail down my forehead.

I could sense a faint presence over in the direction of the noise, and it was beginning to come closer.

Whatever it is...it didn't seem human.

_Wait a second, wait a second...if I'm still in Japan after all that, then I'm going to look like a complete fool for thinking that a dangerous monster or animal would be roaming around. Sure, I have no idea where I am or what it is...but it's not like there would be something capable of really hurting me severely or fatally, is there? _

Finding a few bits and scrapes of courage from telling myself this, I began to sneak forward. As I neared the bush that was concealing my form, my senses suddenly went on high alert.

A small form burst out of the greenery, and I yelled in surprise and leaped backwards.

It was a strange creature, not one I have ever come across before. It was extremely small, its height only reaching the midst of my foreleg. It was completely blue, and had no arms or legs, instead looking a lot like a generic Slime-Type monster from various RPGs I've played in my lifetime. It also had dog-like ears sticking out from the top of its...whole body, rather than its head. Its face also seemed canine in its appearance, even if its face was the only thing on its body.

As it neared me, I felt every aspect of danger disappear from my warning signals. Instead, I sighed and felt like hitting myself. If not, have someone else strike me instead. I felt like an idiot for letting a small thing throw my off my game too much.

_Actually...now that I have a closer look at it..._

I continued to gaze at the strange creature, which was clinging to my leg in a near-adorable and near-pathetic fashion. It was not doing anything strange, and I didn't even feel strange at all. Through my pant leg, I could sense the feeling of the creature's body pressing against my shin. It was warm and soft, and also felt gelatinous. Like a hot water bottle, it also warmed up my body pleasantly.

Staring at its features hard makes me realize that it looked very familiar to me, surprising me. Its very form was one that sparked small fires of recognition in my mind, yet I couldn't quite get a handle on its identity.

It frustrated me, but I decided not to mind it.

"Hey, little guy. You don't seem like you're gonna hurt anyone, even me. Wanna tag along?"

I've never had a pet, and this little thing had ended up getting closer to me than anyone else. It felt comforting, and even began to feel like a sort of companionship.

The thing just made a strange sound and jumped a bit, wagging its gelatinous tail. I lowered myself to let it climb on, and it jumped onto my forearm with ease. It made a sound similar to a happy bark before traveling up to rest on my shoulder. As I sat back down and leaned my head on the creature, it returned the favor by nuzzling my head with its body. It felt extremely soft and malleable, like a pillow of gelatin, or a miniature living water bed.

It made me feel far more comfortable than I was a moment ago. Even confident, and my mind has gone back to a far more capable state. I could think again, since the panic and massive amount of idle of thoughts hindering my thoughts have dissipated. Mostly, at least.

Stroking the creature on my shoulder comfortingly, I noticed that there seemed to be some sort of injury on it. Like a scratch or a cut brought on by a sharp weapon. That thought suddenly drove me harder, and I set my eyes on the forest.

It was night. The forest may not seem imposing, but if this thing on my shoulder existed, then who knew what the trees and the bushes could contain.

Was it wise to walk through it now, in the midst of the night when I could hardly see much of what might be in front of me?

Certainly not.

But I had no other choice except to wait it out here, where I'd be easy prey for whatever else might live in this place. And if we were attacked, neither of us could protect ourselves, much less each other.

The idea of massive, man-eating creatures unsettled me, but I drove away the images and took my first step in this mysterious forest.

* * *

"Hah!"

With a grunt, I spun and slashed the Delinquent Cat in front of me with my Qatar. With a cry, it fell backwards and exploded into a collection of pixels and crystals. I sighed deeply and retracted my weapons into my oversized coat sleeves before walking over to a certain, large tree.

Behind that tree, I could see my companion stab another Delinquent Cat with a needle capable of making even a Phoenix or a Dolphin hesitate.

The girl sighed contently and wiped her sweat, hefting the needle on her shoulder and turning to me with a smile on her face.

"IF, I've finished here. Shall we continue?" She asked me this as if she had not just stabbed a creature to death.

"Yeah, let's go." I smiled, ignoring the thoughts in my mind, and began striding with Compa lined up behind me.

We've been doing these kinds of Quests for some time now, just the two of us. Earlier, we'd done our job of eliminating 20 Dogoos from this forest. For some reason, we'd eliminated the whole bothersome group. However, it was only counted as 19.

One must have escaped amidst the confusion.

I snapped my fingers and sucked my teeth in frustration. I stuck my hands back in my too-large sleeves and placed them in my coat pockets. Behind me, I could hear the sound of Compa's boots as she marched past me with her needle in tow.

Scratch that, she had dozens of needles in her bag. And how she keeps them all on her person is beyond me.

As I looked at the forestry around me, the dim lighting and cool air made me realize that we had already passed nightfall. It was far more difficult to look around and make out details, unlike how it was earlier.

I sagged my shoulders in disappointment. Compa and I had made a rule where we were not to stay out 'til evening when it came to Quests, and neither of us had chosen to break that rule.

After all, the other person got to choose the offender's punishment. And there was no prescribed type or limit to the punishment. Compa was a punctual person by instinct and reflex, so she would never break the rule unless something world-class was threatening her.

I was not that kind of person.

And so, it frightens me to imagine what Compa would do.

"...we'll have to come back for the Dogoo tomorrow, Compa. Let's head back for now and turn in the Quests we've already completed." I decided, turning back and grabbing Compa by the collar of her shirt. By the time she began to respond, I was already dragging her across the forest floor.

"Okay! I'll cook dinner, as a treat to make up for letting him get away!" Compa volunteered, and I couldn't help but leap for joy in my mind. Compa may be a nurse, but her domestic skills were fearsome to behold as well. Between the two us, she was capable of taking care of a house as easily as I kill monsters.

It made for a good setup.

I rounded a bend and suddenly stopped.

The atmosphere here was different. It was...not natural. It wasn't hostile, as something like that tended to set my senses off and raise the hairs on my neck. An aura that screamed of danger was something akin to that of Ancient Dragons and the CFWs.

This wasn't like that.

It didn't seem like a very pleasant aura, either. It screamed presence, for sure.

It was the closest thing to an aura in between.

It was strange. It was out of place.

Unnatural.

Like something that wasn't meant to be here had suddenly arrived, as if it had fallen out of the sky.

I stuck closer to the tree next to me, ignoring the hardened splinters that were digging into my skin and my beloved blue coat. Craning my neck, I took a peek over the side of the bark and used my eyes to scout ahead.

The darkness and shadows did not allow for much of an opportunity to see ahead, and I cursed under my breath. I didn't like the vibes that I was getting yet, and I held a hand up, a gesture for Compa to stay where she was.

She grunted in acknowledgment, and I felt thankful for her capability to understand me even when neither of us spoke.

I unsheathed my Qatars from their positions in my sleeves and stepped out from my cover. Slowly and quietly, I shuffled across the floor on tiptoe. Being careful not to make a single noise, I followed my instincts for the direction of the strange presence.

I passed tree after tree, which had begun to look ominous and menacing in this atmosphere. They looked jagged, crooked and...scary.

_Don't think about that!_

I shook my head vigorously to clear it of the idle and distracting thoughts, as well as the images in my head of monsters that were capable of scaring me half to death. I grit my teeth and advanced further, and before long, I could feel it just ahead.

I switched my gaze from the leaves and grass in front of me to a nearby tree, and then I looked directly at one of the branches connected to it. It was high, far higher than my own height. Digging my feet into the ground, I leaped and grabbed the tree branch with my hand and dug my left Qatar into it. I thrust my chest forward and hooked my legs onto the branch, and I winced when I felt the prickles of the wood press into the back of my leg.

With a huff, I swung and used the momentum to catch another branch with my hands. With this, I climbed up on the tree and began leaping from branch to branch.

With this, I had a vantage point.

Finally, I felt the presence close by, and it had begun to move as well. What's more, it had begun moving in my direction. I felt a tiny shiver trickle down my back as I noted this, and I did my best not to immediately unsheathe my two Qatars right then and there.

I realized that my hands, when I looked at them, were actually shaking uncontrollably. They trembled, and not in excitement or anticipation.

They quaked in nervousness, anxiety...and if I admit it to myself, fear.

I heard a noise that sounded like something stepping on the forest floor, and I braced my shaking hands against the branch and froze every part of my body. As rigid as possible, I could have been mistaken for a statue.

_Here it is!_

And a second passed.

…

…

Two seconds.

Three.

…

_For some reason, it's not having that sense of extreme danger that I had been expecting. _

In all honesty, I had been expecting a monster that dwarfed the size of Ancient Dragons to suddenly erupt from the ground. I'd go so far as to say that I was expecting something epically bad.

Yet I heard nothing.

Yet I still felt that presence.

The darkness of the dawn had already become blacker, making it far harder to see what was in front of me. I squinted to see what I could make out in the direction of the incoming presence.

And when I did...I saw a boy.

_A...person?_

The boy looked around the age of 17, what with his height and all. His hair was black. So black, it was almost impossible to make it out with the shadows of the forest concealing him so well. From what I could tell, he was wearing civilian clothing.

He wore a black tee, and was donning a pair of dark blue jeans. His shoes were black as well, and I could just barely make out a black watch on his wrist.

His hair was messy, and his bangs concealed his eyes and a good portion of his face from my angle. It was also clearly spiky, being similar to a pincushion run through with needles.

And despite his lack of weapons or anything else that could possibly register him as a threat, I felt the vibes erupting and spouting from his position.

It was unmistakeable.

This boy was the source of the strange feeling that I had.

_...he doesn't seem like a bad person. _

My curiosity grew stronger than my fighting spirit, and I leaped down to intercept him. When I landed in front of him, he appeared visibly startled. He even jumped a few steps back.

When I saw him jump and land, I noticed that the movement was actually smooth and lean. It was graceful, even. Practiced.

"Um...a woman?"

His voice, indicating he was completely clueless and lost on what to do in this situation, was evidently stained with nervousness.

He doesn't seem like he's from around here.

"You. Who are-" I felt the words catch in my throat when my eyes rested on his shoulder.

On it was a Dogoo.

And on its flank, I could make out a wound. It was still fresh, and recovering as I watched.

That was the one I had let get away. No doubt.

My senses went on "monster hunting" mode in a flash, and I unsheathed my Qatars without warning.

"Get away from that thing!" I yelled at him, just hoping that he would listen to me. I rushed it and prepared to run the creature through and complete the Quest.

What I didn't expect was to suddenly feel my Qatar stop mid-swing as if it had been caught by a rope or stopped by a wall.

_W-what?!_

I removed my eyes from my target and looked back to my arm.

My Qatar blade was extended, and my arm was still in the middle of the swing itself. But it had been caught, alright.

The boy had not ducked, rolled or gotten away from the Dogoo like I screamed at him to do so. Instead, he had shifted to the side a bit, stepped forward and caught my Qatar blade in between his fingers.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" I said to the boy, who was standing calmly and steadfast despite my attempts to remove my Qatar from his grasp.

"That's what I want to ask you. What do you think you're trying to do, attacking my friend right after we met each other?"

I couldn't actually blame him for thinking that, but my thought remained on one thing. I swept my gaze slowly from my weapon to the boy, and then to the Dogoo just staring at me as if I were just something that wasn't trying to kill it.

_His pet's a Dogoo? No, wait! That's not the issue at all! _

_How the hell did he stop my blade?! And with that kind of method, not to mention!_

He grabbed the blade with his whole hand and pushed it away, and I fell back spinning because of his strength. I found myself striking the hard earth with my rear end, staring dumbfounded at the strange pair.

"...that issue aside, do you mind me asking you a question?"

And suddenly, his tone shifted drastically from a serious one to a tone as casual as casual could get. He smiled at me as well, and I could feel the heavy, hostile atmosphere vanish completely.

He swept his bangs aside with his hands, and I saw his eyes. I froze right there, narrowing my eyebrows.

_His eyes...are..._

Before I could even finish my thought, I could hear a faint voice from behind me. It was calling out my name, that much I could tell.

It was Compa.

I sighed and turned back to the boy.

"My name is IF. Come with me for a second. I want to ask you some questions."

"Um...sure. My name is Akai. Akai Gurren."

* * *

_IF? _

That name.

That name was completely identical to a character whom I knew for charisma, sass and quick wit. Those Qatars, the blue coat, the cell phones on her belt and the Leafy Bow in her hair.

There was no mistaking it.

This was _the _IF. From Hyperdimension Neptunia.

_What's she doing, living and breathing in front of me? _

I kept all this to myself as I walked silently behind her. Despite everything I've seen her do in the games and the anime, she wasn't as strong as I've come to believe. I stopped her attack surprisingly easily, although I don't know why she tried to kill the thing on my shoulder anyway.

_Ah, come to think of it...this thing is called a Dogoo, isn't it?_

Something really bad must have happened to my brain for me to forget the most basic and adorable of the monsters of the Hyperdimension Universe.

"IF! You took a while, so I was getting worr-who's this person?"

A new voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to the source.

It was a blonde haired girl with a respectable bust and a wide smile, completed with a human-sized needle and a black hairband.

No doubt, it was IF's constant friend and companion. Compa, the nurse.

I felt the pressure getting to my head as I tried desperately to process what was going on.

If IF and Compa, two characters from my favorite series, were standing and breathing right in front of me, then that means that I had to be in the Hyperdimension Universe. It made sense, since I was the one who woke up in a place that I didn't recognize.

_Wait a minute...if I'm here, then that means that I'm vulnerable! I'm homeless and broke! _

For sure, I had no means of defending myself. I know almost no one in this world, much less have a place of residence and a source of income. The thought unsettled me, as happy as I was to imagine that I was in the Hyperdimension. I couldn't freeload, and I had no idea as how to earn a living for myself in this world yet.

I felt my vision blur slightly for a moment, and my uneasiness grew even more. I tried to take another step, and my foot gave way under my weight. I fell to my knees, and I grunted in pain as the skin on my left knee cap was slightly scraped by the ground.

I heard the footsteps stop.

A pause.

A small hand reached down to me, holding a pill of some sort that I couldn't recognize. I looked up, and Compa smiled down at me and nodded. I grinned back and took that pill from her hand. I gulped it down with my saliva and stood back up. I felt my strength begin to return, albeit slowly. My headache had begun to ease up, and my vision became sharper and clearer.

"We need to get you to town, first. We can help you once we get there, so hang on." Her kind voice, a stark contrast to IF's somewhat indifferent tone, soothed my mind. I smiled and began walking, a little more slowly since my leg was now slightly injured.

We continued on as the night grew deeper, and the shadows lengthened around us. Before long, the moonlight began to shine its turquoise light onto the path we walked on, and drowsiness began to weigh my mind and body down. As my eyes began to droop down, they started to make out lights in the distance. I felt my body begin to feel a bit stronger, now that civilization was in view.

"Since you seem to need some more medical examination, and since the inn here is full for the time being, you can sleep at our house."

That statement blew my eyes back wide open, and I turned my head to stare at her. IF joined me, her irises nearly exploding in surprise at her words. I could feel the protest about to erupt from IF's lips, but Compa immediately turned to her friend and placed her fingers on IF's mouth to shush her.

"IF, we can't just leave him be." She smiled, but I felt a very commanding and imposing aura begin to emanate from her. I felt my whole body shiver and run cold for an instant, and I immediately took a step back from her.

She scared me. That much, I was ready to admit.

Even IF, whom I've known in my world for being cool, brave and level-headed, stood no chance in the face of this unforeseen obstacle. I could see the sweat glistening on her forehead, and I could feel her superiority in the conversation crumbling.

I made a mental note at that moment.

_Never make Compa mad. _

With a sigh of defeat, IF consented to the idea. We continued walking after that, with no one saying a word. The only sound that any of us made was the humming of a melody that Compa herself was letting out.

* * *

In another world, seven people stood around one person in a dark alleyway.

"What do you think you're doing, mocking the Seven Sages!?" One of the seven bellowed, his massive body giving him an intimidation level that surpassed that of ordinary people.

Copypaste.

"I don't like this guy. He gives me bad vibes." Another one of the seven butted in, her little figure contrasting to her nasty tone.

Abnes.

"Can't we just destroy him, and be done with this?" A lady from the group suggested, her fingers flickering with magic and her eyes eager to see the lone figure in their midst eradicated from existence.

Arfoire.

"Now, now. Calm yourselves, everyone. This man says that he has a proposition for us." Another of the seven interrupted, trying his best to keep his colleagues and comrades from going ballistic on their associate.

Mr. Badd.

"He might have something worth hearing out, chu~" Another member added on, his squeaky voice completely destroying any pretense of taking him seriously in this situation.

Pirachu.

"I don't like the idea of destroying a potential asset. And shouldn't you be taking care of this dispute as our leader?" A sixth member said, turning to the last of their group.

Anonydeath.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't let it happen again!" The "leader" of the group responded, apologizing and bowing with as much energy as a little kid would imbue into running around doing nonsensical things.

Rei Ryghts.

A small pause lingered after that, and then the eighth and unaffiliated member of their meeting spoke.

"...what if I were to tell you that there was a way to find and defeat those who mocked you and brought you to your knees?" He spoke, and his voice was low and baritone. Yet, it was charismatic and reeked of experience and authority.

Like he knew what he was talking about.

A silence ensued his statement.

"Bwahahahaha! Do you think you can lead us into working for you?! We've already decided to help the CPUs, and that's that! I don't wanna hear any rambling from you about stuff I don't care about! Besides, it's not so bad being a tea robot, you know!" Copypaste just started laughing and clutching his gut in response.

"Like hell I'd go against that sadistic lady, chu~! My hide's better being under their wing then trying to fight a losing battle." Pirachu retorted to the man, his wings and tail twitching.

"What?! And defeat the little girls I work so hard to protect and care for?! You can just die right now and never come back to life, you fool!" Abnes replied, her voice having gone high and squeaky like the little girls she loved so much.

"I'd rather just go back to my farm right this instant and leave you to rot. As much as I don't like those girls, the idea of fighting them now will do nothing for me or the rest of us." Arfoire spat, her face clearly showing disgust.

"I just want to live a peaceful life now that my little girls are back with me. I don't want to bother with any plotting or fighting with those...inhuman girls anymore." Mr. Badd added, his body quivering at the mere thought of opposing any of those ladies again.

"Hmm...as much as the idea sounds like it would be interesting, you're talking to the wrong fellows here. We've already given up on defeating those girls." Anonydeath said, his back to the wall.

"I'm afraid that calling us here did you no good, sir. We'd like you to stop thinking of things like that and come with us. Reporting you might teach you a lesson or two." Rei responded, drawing out her confidence and refusing the man flat out.

"...it's a shame. If you will not fight those goddesses, then you can just watch the balance of this world become undone. You can watch them fall while you stand, unable to do anything."

As the figure said this, a blackened hole erupted in the wall behind him.

"In the coming days, Gamindustri will face a new kind of threat, and the goddesses themselves will be powerless to stop it. You can just watch it unfold and die when you can no longer draw out the strength to even breath."

As he stepped backwards and into the hole, Rei Ryghts called out to the man. Almost desperately.

"Wait! Who are you?!"

Before he disappeared, his head could be seen in the opening that was already closing behind him.

"You don't need to know anything. My mistress will either tell you the answer before killing you, or kill you before telling your dead body the answer."

And the hole closed up, sealing him away from the Seven Sages.

* * *

"The Sages would not be moved, milady."

"Even _she _did not entertain the thought?!"

"No, milady. She thought of nothing but returning to her eggplant farm and living a peaceful life."

"...well, no matter. As long as we can get the true one back, it matters not what happens to that one. Pathetic."

"Very well, milady. Shall I prepare the clones of the Sages?"

"Begin the process right away. It is for the sake of our Goddess."

"Yes, milady."

"Go now, and hasten the development of our new playthings. Our new leaders should enjoy having them on our side."

"I will begin immediately. If you will excuse me."

"I can't wait to have fun! Having those things on our side will make things so easy, it'll be like having a cheat-code to life! Hahahaha!"

"Enough fun and games! I want to crush those goddesses now!"

"Calm yourself. See what our leaders have to listen to. What say you, CFW Linda and CFW Pirachu?"

"We have to wait, chu~! If we rush in, we'll get demolished like my other self in that other Gamindustri."

"Why the hell am I not even a villain in that world, dammit?! It's unfair that only this runt of a rat gets the spotlight!"

"Hey, my parallel self didn't even get a background song and introductory text! I suggest you keep that to yourself, chu~!"

"My parallel self didn't even show up! For all I know, she's either dead or not born yet, if at all!"

"...well, no matter, chu~ Once we have those clones with us, we'll be an even greater force to be reckoned with, chu~!"

"...remind me why there's a cloning device in the Gamindustri Graveyard, guys."

"Don't question good hardware, chu~! If we can use it, then that makes it fine, chu~!"

"Even if we're CFWs now, hardly anything's changed! We're still scrubbing the dirt around, looking for things to use instead of having a real chance at all!"

"CFW Linda. This is all just temporary. Once our Goddess is back, we shall be in power once again, and ASIC will strike fear into the hearts of all."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who tried to kill me!"

* * *

_Author's Note: _

_Guys, I noticed that a lot of people have been noting down a few parts of my writing style. I do apologize for the occasional lack of P.O.V Lines. I forget to place them in editing, and I feel like an idiot for doing so. _

_However, when I switch P. , I will not be indicating whose P.O.V it is at the start of the switch. This is my style for now. _

_Thank you for being understanding, and I hope to see you reading the next chapter. _

_Sincerely, _

_Lord Purple Heart_


	3. Game: Save File Created

Game: Save File Created

"...nn..."

I moaned and turned in my sleep, drowsiness invading my brain like a hurricane. The soft sensation of the bed was draining my will to rise, and my limbs felt heavier than a stone wall. The smoothness of the blankets and the warmth I felt under the covers were keeping me from being properly conscious. The temptation to lie there forever was a heavy one, and I slowly began to give into it.

And I would've, if my eyes didn't catch a glimpse of something I hadn't expected to see at all.

The color that greeted me was not the dull, greyish shade that comprised the ceiling of my room. Instead, it was a bright navy blue that made my eyes widen in surprise.

That was not the color of the ceiling of my room.

This softness was far different from the sensation of my rough and short blankets. These covers were far too soft, smooth and comfortable.

The memories of the previous night suddenly came back to me, and I felt my breath stop in my chest for a brief and crucial moment.

_I'm not on Earth anymore. _

The thought rattled me, and I felt my sleepiness give way to my emotions easily. I rubbed my eyes and sat up from the mattress, and my back suddenly began to miss the warmth and comfort of the bed. Ignoring the feeling of emptiness, I stood up and began folding the sheets.

"You don't have to do that."

I felt my being jump, startled, before I glanced behind me.

I could see IF standing with her back to the wall in a very enigmatic and charismatic way, her arms crossed and her eyes locked on me.

"Even if you're a guest, this is my room. More than an issue of courtesy, I'd rather you don't mess up my bed any more than you already have." She spoke to me, eyeing me in a very suspecting manner.

She doesn't like me that much.

That much I could sense.

"More importantly, are you alright? Sometimes, Compa's nursing can injure the patient more than heal him." IF said, pushing herself off the wall and staring at my body.

For some reason, she looked like she didn't really want to be looking at me. Her face was also a bit red, which mystified me. It also made the atmosphere a little more awkward.

_Why is she-_

I looked down.

My body was bandaged heavily, with gauze lining my chest and lower abdomen. Aware of it now, I could feel the stiffness brought on by the presence of said bandages. I felt my back with my arm, and I could tell that it was also laden with the wrappings.

"Where did-" I began to exclaim, but IF raised her arm and cut me off.

"Last night, we knocked you out with some of Compa's sleep toxins after we reached her house. FYI, that's where we are right now."

"...why?"

"Compa asked me to remove your shirt, and when I did, we found that. Scratches, both deep and light, all over your back and front. Bruises all over your body and legs too."

"Really?" I didn't feel any pain, despite what she was telling me. I checked my arms, and it turned out to be the truth. Large bruises, black and blue, ran down the length of my whole arm. The sight gave me shivers, yet poking them didn't seem to incite any pain in my arm whatsoever.

It felt strange.

"...that's not an amount of injuries that a normal person can survive. Who are you?" She responded, her eyes narrowing. I felt an oppressive aura come out, a sign that she was ready to beat me for the information if she had to.

I didn't know IF for a cruel streak. This was a new characteristic of her that I had yet to see.

"...my name is Akai Gurren. I'm not from Gamindustri."

Silence.

"..."

"..."

IF eyed me with an analytic and cold gaze for an agonizingly long moment, and I thought she might have even drawn her Qatars.

Suddenly, she sighed and smiled at me tiredly. She pushed herself off the wall and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, you're being honest, and that's plus points for you. You don't sound like you're lying, and I've seen stuff involving alternate and parallel dimensions, so it's far more believable then I'd like it to be." She remarked, walking over to her closet.

I felt relief wash over my brain. IF walked past me and opened one of the closet doors, her eyes scrutinizing the contents when she did. She stuck her body into the wardrobe, beginning to rummage through it. I could hear the sound of cloth and steel being pushed aside, and my curiosity rose.

"What are you doing, IF?" I asked her, touching the bandages on my torso consciously.

She stood up, holding up a brown coat and a light blue tee. She tossed them to me, and I caught them deftly.

"You can't go shirtless forever, so I'll give you an old coat that a friend of mine lent me." She said, and she closed the door and opened the door to the room.  
"Now, be sure to put that on. Compa's just about to finish making breakfast."

I nodded, and she shut the door behind her. I was now alone in the room, and I sighed in contentment.

At last, I was alone.

It would give me a little bit of time to think about my present situation, and what I should do next.

This certainly wasn't the best of situations.

I had gotten a pretty good stroke of luck to encounter someone I "know" in this world, so I couldn't waste the time at all.

What I choose to do from here on out will affect my fate.

I put my arms through the coat, feeling the sensation of the aged leather on my skin. I didn't dislike it, but it chafed me a bit as I moved within the fabric.

It looked a lot like IF's coat, except that it fit me perfectly. Hers was a few sizes too big.

It was warm though, so I wasn't complaining at all.

I went through the door and walked through the house, admiring all of the fixtures and the girly ornaments of the walls and the ceilings. The walls were yellow and orange, a very cheery color that suited the nurse. As I passed the narrow hallway where the door to the bathroom was, a portrait of Compa and an old man stared at me from the wall painting.

They both smiled at me very kindly. His eyes were very soft and gentle-looking.

_He must be Compa's grandfather, the one that she mentioned every now and then. _

I entered what looked like the kitchen, and I smelled the wafting aroma of food.

"Good morning!"

Compa's cheery voice was muffled by the food in her mouth, the aroma telling me that it was a very delicious serving of pancakes and maple syrup. She and IF were seated opposite to each other at the table, IF taking small bites of her food with her eyes closed. Compa, on the other hand, was slicing each pancake in half, drizzling it in the golden brown syrup, and then delivering the whole thing to her hungry mouth.

It was adorable, if one overlooked the lack of etiquette.

A third plate sat on another empty seat, steaming with its own pile of pancakes, and the sound of my stomach was louder than I wanted to admit. Compa immediately giggled in response and poured a cup of iced tea for me. I noticed lemons drifting in the mixture, and my thirst began to ache for its relief.

I sat down eagerly and began cutting pieces of my food. I thrust the forkful of pancake into my mouth, and I felt myself smile by reflex as the sweet flavor of the food blossomed within my taste buds.

"Mm! This is pretty good!" I exclaimed between chomps and sips of iced tea. The flavor of the lemon and the cold tea refreshed my system, and I felt energized like nothing else.

"Well, that's to be expected. Compa is a domestic goddess! She can cook, clean, do laundry, and everything else you can possibly ask for!" IF's voice took on a bragging tone.

I couldn't help but feel like it was the kind of scene where a husband is bragging about his wife's housework.

"In other words, Compa is a very ideal wife."

It took me a moment to realize what I had just said.

"W-well, I-it's the first time a b-boy has ever said that about m-me...I don't really know how to respond to that..." Compa, blushing a bright red, averted her gaze from me and placed another fork of pancake into her mouth, fidgeting as she did.

"Did you say that on purpose? Or are you trying to mess with Compa?" IF said, glowering as she did. Her eyes practically lit up with possessiveness, and she leered at me. I felt my body crane backwards in instinctive fear, and I cursed myself for saying something so strange by reflex.

"No no no, I was just trying to describe how you were describing her. You sounded a lot like a husband bragging about his wife." I remarked, trying to get IF away from me.

The words held more power than I thought they would.

IF immediately reacted by sitting back in her chair violently, slamming her hand onto the table. Compa reacted by looking at her with a hard-to-describe look. Before IF could yell whatever she thought of yelling, she suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes, and they were now full of calm.

"...all that aside, I want to hear more about you."

I started with my history, from my childhood all the way to the events of what happened yesterday. I left the part out about playing a game where they were the characters, since saying that might make them more conscious.

They kept their eyes on me as I spoke, not saying a single word and taking occasional sips from their drinks since their plates had been cleaned already.

When I finished, IF sat back in her chair and sighed.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of something digital. I perked my ears in response, and IF pulled a wooden stick out of thin air and tossed it to me.

It was merely a long, cleanly carved stick. In the middle, cloth was tightly wrapped around it. It made for a pretty good walking stick as well, and I could tell that it had been used for that purpose.

"Come with me, and bring that with you." IF stood up and said that with a colder tone than earlier. She turned and exited the kitchen, and Compa stood up in protest and followed her. I cocked my head questioningly, not understanding what she meant, and followed her as well.

She led me to the grassy plain close to the house, which was whistling with pleasant wind currents. I felt my face being caressed by the gales as I stood opposite of IF.

She threw her arms downward, and her Qatars flashed out of her coat sleeves. She raised one and pointed it at me, and her eyes grew menacing.

* * *

_I want to check. _

This boy, Akai Gurren, was claiming he was from another world. Which was actually pretty fine. It's happened before, a bunch of times. Plutia was still visiting our world very frequently, and Neptune was spending a lot of time on their side as well.

What seemed off to me was how he had blocked my weapons before with his method and fighting style.

A night before, he had stopped my trained strike with his fingers.

And I had been using a bladed weapon, and he had been barehanded.

It made no sense to me, and my pride as a Guild Member and a fighter was not willing to let it go just yet.

Some normal kid who was able to stop me so easily. It didn't seem right.

I felt my eyebrows narrow as I gazed at Akai, whose confused and complacent expression ticked me off for some incomprehensible reason.

"See if you can beat me." Was all I said before I began dashing at him.

My speed was not normal, having been enhanced after my fights alongside Neptune and the others. I was confident that I could outpace this lone young man with no trouble.

"IF! Why are you-" Compa began calling out from the side, still protesting. I drowned her out from my hearing, focusing directly on the boy.

My eyes immediately went to his legs.

There.

That tension.

That footwork as he began his preparatory stance.

No way was he an amateur.

I watched his stance and his movements.

As I approached him, he took a step back with his left foot. He spun the staff once before grabbing onto it with his left hand. He held it vertically, aligning it with his shoulderblades as he watched me.

As I saw his gaze on me, I suddenly felt...vulnerable.

It was like his eyes were pre-empting whatever moves I was planning to make. I got that foreboding feeling, and I wavered slightly.

It was like he could read my moves.

I felt that feeling, as if I were being stripped naked and being watched from all sides. It was really unnerving, and I did my best to shake it off and rush him.

"Hah!" With a yell, I took a sudden dash to my left and flanked him. I struck the ground with a strong kick and vaulted over Akai's body and attempted to strike the side of his head with my Qatar as I passed overhead.

_Surely he can't figure out how to block this sequence!_

The idea was actually simpler than it looked.

I would attack him with an overhead passing strike to rattle his defense. Then, when I land, I would immediately use a sweeping attack with my legs to knock him off his feet.

It was a simple, two-hit combo.

Yet it was difficult to read just how it would work through simply watching. None of my peers have ever been able to block this move on the first try.

I swung my arm hard at his head.

Immediately, he leaned backwards and raised the wooden staff. He angled it so that my blade would shear against the side and be redirected away from his body. My flight path was altered slightly so that it would veer a bit to the left, and I couldn't rein in my surprise.

_Did he do that on purpose?_

I quickly adjusted and performed a somersault, landing on my two feet in a crouching position. I quickly spun on my heel and attempted to strike the back of his ankles. I felt my foot make contact with something hard, and my momentum stopped completely.

I looked up, and I saw his wooden staff.

He had brought it down in time and stopped my foot just before it had struck him using the wood.

I quickly exerted strength into my other foot and leaped away from him, skidding in the ground. I made a good distance from him, about forty yards, before I began to reassert control over myself.

_He read it!_

Suddenly, my eyes caught a glimpse of his face tightening his expression as he crouched low. He pounced at me, holding the staff behind him with one hand in the center, and I couldn't believe how much distance he had covered in that single bound.

I raised my Qatars to recover from my shock, only to defend myself against Akai slamming the wooden stick onto my weapons. I felt waves jar my arms, making them feel numb.

Suddenly, he grabbed one end of the staff and planted it into the dirt as he landed directly in front of me. Using it as leverage, he jumped back into the air and towards me with a kick in mind.

I let my body take over, and I quickly bent backwards and stabbed my Qatars into the dirt below me to sustain my body. His body sailed over mine, and the kick evaded my head and instead struck the grass.

I was about to spin around and attack him again when he turned around and twirled the staff. As I attempted to make some distance between us, he performed a sharp stabbing strike with the blunt end of the staff.

It struck my shin, and I felt the pain blaze a trail up my leg. I batted it away with my arm and hopped backwards, wincing as I landed on my injured shin.

He rushed me without warning, and my mind went into panic mode. I tried to step back, but he immediately spun his staff and performed a spinning sweep with it. He yanked my foot upwards, and I struck the ground headfirst.

The next thing I knew, I was staring up at the blue sky and the clouds.

_I...lost?_

* * *

I hadn't expected her to suddenly attack me.

I had to admit, she surprised completely when she started charging me and attempting to cleave my head from my skull.

At least, that's what I assumed she was doing.

I had reacted by pure reflex alone, and I had even managed to injure IF in the process.

I hate myself.

Not only did I somehow make IF hate me enough to challenge me to a duel, but I even injured her sharply. I know, since I did feel the strike hit her body very soundly. The vibration that I had felt when the staff made contact, along with her expression at the time, told me that I had impaired her very well.

If any pride existed in her as a fighter and a Guild Member, it would be terribly wounded.

And sure enough, her eyes were staring at me like she couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

I sighed and twirled the stick in my right hand as I looked it over. It was clearly aged, yet it was also well taken care of. There was now a big scratch on the side where the blade of IF's Qatar had sheared off the side.

If I wasn't mistaken, judging by the looks of it, what I was holding was the old walking stick of Compa's grandfather.

I looked back at Compa, who was now at IF's side and checking her leg. Her expression was less concerned about her injury, and more intent on scolding her for her surprising behavior.

I couldn't help but feel partly responsible.

"Hey, are you alright, IF?" I asked, walking closer to her. She just looked at me with a blank look and averted her gaze.

"She's alright, but she won't be walking around on this leg for a few hours." Compa replied for her, pulling out a few bandages from her pocket and wrapping her leg with them.

I decided to disregard that and I began to wonder what exactly I should do. An idea struck me and I turned towards IF.

"Hey, IF. Could you tell me more about your Guild Work?"

"...okay?"

* * *

"...and so?"

"What?" He looked back at me with a very clueless look like he had no idea what I was talking about.

We were now walking back from one of the Guild's branch buildings.

I hadn't expected him to sign up for Guild Work at all.

_Well...with his skills, he'd be more of an asset than a liability. _

"What is your intention for joining the Guild at all, though? I can't tell what you're trying to do." To be honest, a small part of me still can't accept my loss to him. I haven't lost to anything against ambushes and really strong monsters.

Losing to this boy...didn't quite click with me.

But I knew better than to hold any kind of childish grudge or personal vendetta against someone who has no idea of what he did. He didn't even aim to beat me, just to get the fight over with. In that situation, I would've beaten him down badly given the chance.

It makes me feel a little guilty for allowing my childish pride to get in the way of trying to understand him and his situation.

But one thing kept bothering me above anything else.

I took another sidelong glance at him, taking care to make sure that he didn't notice. I focused my gaze on his eyes, which were the subject of my curiosity and my interest.

His eyes were different from anything I've ever seen.

They were...iridescent.

They weren't a single color, instead flashing through the whole spectrum of color as they moved and blinked.

It was almost unsettling to look at him directly. Like something entirely _different _was looking at me.

"Hmm...well, if I'm going to end up living in Gamindustri for a good long while, then I should secure resources. Money, a place to live and other things." He responded, seeming to be deep in thought. His eyes looked to the sky, and they seemed faraway.

_That's true. _

_Wait, you're not gonna freeload in Compa's house?"_

"Wait, you're not gonna-" At the last possible moment, I managed to keep my lips shut.

"...the thought is appealing in its own right, I have to admit. You are the only people I actually know in this world." He said, and I felt my eyes widen.

I couldn't tell what kind of expression I was making right now.

"But...I can't impose on either of you. It's unbecoming of me as a man, as well. So I need to find a place to stay, so I can give you girls the privacy you want." He smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head as he continued to walk.

_He was actually thinking of us...and being so considerate. _

I couldn't help but want to help him, now that he's shown me this side of him.

He was a genuinely nice person, unlike the people that have tended to approach me. When I had to work with men in the Guild's mission, I quickly developed a preference of working with women.

Men were disgusting, thinking of nothing but money, power and how to get lucky.

Akai, though, seemed different.

I found myself preferring his presence beside me rather than letting him run wild with those kinds of men in the Guild.

"...actually, I wouldn't mind you staying with us."

_What the hell am I saying?!_

I immediately averted my gaze from him, not letting him see my eye to eye. If I did, I fear for what his hypnotic iridescent eyes would do to me.

"No, I couldn't. I need to adjust to this world, and fast. I appreciate the offer, but I can't let myself be a heavy load on other people. And especially you, IF."

I felt my legs stop moving for a moment, and I tried my best to fight off the feminine sensations my body was experiencing. The racing of my pulse and the heat emanating from my cheeks. The capability of misunderstanding what he had just said.

I knew that he was just being friendly. Being kind. Considerate.

I knew that, yet the weird feelings kept resurfacing when I put them down.

I'd begun to grow more conscious of him as we walked home more and more. I was conscious of how fast he was walking, where he was looking, and how his body moved as he strode forward alongside me.

_...is this kind of thing the reason why I want him to stay with us at Compa's house?_

It would be selfish of me to press my desires onto him any more than I already have.

I treated him coldly since day one, and even let my foolish pride force me to challenge him to a battle. One that I even lost, and a part of me didn't quite want to acknowledge quite yet.

Maybe...I wanted to stay by him longer just to see if he was worthy of acknowledging.

My new title in the Guild was not just for show. It was one that I'd earned through diligence, hard work and plenty of battles.

My new title, The Assassin of the Howling Wind, was not one I would allow to be sullied by the defeat of some kid that didn't even have a place in the Guild.

I felt my competitive spirit begin to rise, and I smiled. It felt feral...very instinctive. No doubt, the smile of a predator was on my face.

It didn't feel bad.

"I thank you for the thought, but I still want to get a place of my own." He said, smiling again and raising a single eyebrow. "I do need the privacy of a man, after all."

"That's true, then." I responded, and my voice came out rather meekly. Almost docile. It contrasted starkly to the expression I was making and the emotion I felt.

"Alright, I'm gonna give you a good tip about the Guild Work then, if that's the case."

He turned towards me, and I smiled proudly and puffed out my chest

"Quests are requests that given by citizens and residents of Gamindustri. They can be taken by anyone, even those who are not part of the Inner Guild. This is a very common way to earn money, since problems are always rising around Gamindustri that the CPUs themselves may be too busy to handle."

"Every person who registers themselves with the Guild has something known as a Quest Rank. This is like a clearance pass that allows you take Quests of the same rank as yours. They range from Ranks _**E**_ to _**A**_, and rise in difficulty as you go further. All newbies start out at _**E**_, while veterans, regulars and pros tend to go for the higher ranks. The higher the rank, the harder the requirements are for clearing it. However, with risk comes reward, and the Quest Rewards given after clearance will also be promising."

"There are two kinds of Quests: Gathering Quests and Elimination Quests. For the Gathering Quests, the person who takes the Quest has to obtain a specific item or a specific number or variety of items. After which, they simply give it back to the Client. Elimination Quests, on the other hand, are where we are tasked to fight and eliminate monsters causing the Client trouble."

"Hmm...well, nothing I don't know..." I heard him mumble under his breath, and I felt my eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"So, what else about the Guild do you know that I might have missed out on?" I asked Akai, turning to him with a smirk on my face.

I've already said everything that needs to be said about the Guild workings. No way was there something I'd missed.

Akai gave me an exasperated smile and put his finger on his chin, trailing into deep thought.

"Ah. People can also take on Quests either in groups or individually. When an individual takes on the Quest and clears it, the reward goes to him or her alone. But when a group turns in the reward, it is up to the group to determine how the reward will split, because the reward is the same regardless." He responded, raising his finger in revelation as he did.

_Th-this guy!_

He'd mentioned something I'd forgotten.

He smiled back at me again, this time sheepishly and a little guiltily.

"Now...mind helping me find a weapon and some sort of protection?"


	4. Character: Enemy Encountered

Character: Enemy Encountered

It's already been a week since that time.

I've already registered myself with the Guild, and I had tried doing a few simple Quests. They bordered on the level of being everyday good deeds, such as getting lost cats and helping people with their plumbing.

It was a little disappointing, but it paid well.

I already knew that the currency of Gamindustri was known as _Credits_, and I had more than 50,000 of them in my wallet. My hands had been dirtied with the constant task of dirtying them for people who didn't like filthy work, though.

IF also helped me with some of it, but she didn't ask for any rewards or help. She seemed satisfied enough with helping me, even though it riddled me with guilt.

It seems about time I found myself my own place.

But first...

I was in the weapons shop.

The girl on the other side of the counter-top was just chewing gum and blowing gum bubbles as I walked through the selection of weaponry.

There were daggers, swords and maces. Selections of rifles and pistols, as well as many different kinds of ranged weapons like bows and crossbows.

I...actually didn't know what to buy.

It was a really strange predicament. But if I were to start taking Elimination Quests, then I need a helpful weapon. It was a tough choice, though.

I heard the jingle of the bells over the door, and I shot a glance at the entrance.

"Yo." It was IF, and she smiled at me in a very friendly manner. She approached me, and she gave me a high five. I returned it and turned back to the weapon racks.

"Trying to find a suitable weapon doesn't seem to be working out well. I don't know what to get." I confessed, feeling a little disappointed in myself. I hung my head in sad resignation as I took another glance at the displays.

I heard her grunt in acknowledgment and walk past me. I raised my head and watched her as she began looking through the weapon racks. She hummed, nodded, shook her head and frowned several times. After a solid minute, she walked back to me. She strode, passing by me, and grabbed the collar of my coat as she did. Before I knew it, I was being dragged forcefully out of the store.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" I responded, grabbing IF's hand and attempting to wrest myself away from her grip. I failed miserably, as her fingers were iron-hard and well-muscled.

Even with that, her fingers were still smooth and thin. The feel of a woman's hand.

"I'm taking you somewhere that can get you a much better idea of what weapon you might want, as well as how to get a better handle on weapons in general. It will also teach you a few things you'd be better off knowing."

I had a bad feeling about this.

IF's been telling me about the Inner Guild ever since I'd registered for Quests, and how I should take the initiation test to see what they think. I wasn't really against the idea, but I was questioning the idea of getting involved with an organization whose origins and goals were something I knew nothing of.

"Fine, I'll use as an incentive. I'm going to tell you an interesting tidbit of information, so listen up."

"For simulation's purposes, the Inner Guild requested to the Basilicom that a specific type of weapon be made by the Item Development Department."

Those words made me slightly more interested in what she had to say, and I slid out of my coat and began walking alongside her. She handed me back the coat, continuing her statement.

"It is a prototype weapon that integrates itself into the mind of the user. When you focus your thoughts onto the weapon and "will" it into the form you want it to take, it interprets the signals from your brain that we refer to as the "will" and turns that into electronic commands that function within the device. It then transforms into what you want it to. Fun, right?"

It sounded extremely overpowered, to me.

"It's one of the most practical weapons, as its dormant state is small enough to fit into a person's pocket. It can even be willed into a bracelet or a necklace or something similar for its dormancy. However, it is also a weapon treated with a lot of care and suspicion, since people don't exactly trust it."

"Why is that? It sounds very useful."

"Well, it's a weapon that gets into your mind and reads it. If something were go wrong, the user's head will be at very real risk. Not to mention, the weapon itself is still a prototype and the development has been stopped because of the rumors surrounding it. It might not even be a good weapon in a certain sense because it may not be strong as other weapons that you might want it to emulate. If you choose to wield a sword, there may be better options for a sword in the Store, for example." IF explained, her tone level and explanatory.

Disregarding the risks, the weapon itself interested me greatly.

"I like the idea, though. It's perfect for indecisive people. Though...how is this incentive? If it's used for initiation, there's no way I can keep it for myself." I commented, noting a fatal flaw in the idea.

IF just smiled in response.

"I can pull a few strings. If I can't get you the weapon itself or get the Item Development Dept. to start working on the models again, then I can get you the blueprints for creating it, at the least. If that's the worst-case scenario, I can refer you to a person who can make anything, even that weapon."

Only one person came to mind when she said that.

One person I knew in Gamindustri was capable of making "anything".

* * *

"You want Gust to make prototype weapon for this boy?

I had been right about my assumptions of who the person was.

The Alchemist of the _Makers_, Gust.

Not only was she one of the youngest characters in the whole group, she was one of the smartest. Gifted in the arts of Alchemy, she was also a great haggler and a dangerous person to deal with. At the worst, Gust is capable of blackmailing her friends with a smile on her face.

I had not expected her to be one of the Inner Guild, though. She was a traveler by her trade, and she actually lived in Lastation. At least, that's what I recall from the times back in my room when I played the games.

If I was not mistaken, I was currently in Planeptune. Since Compa and IF are living here, it was a safe assumption.

What she was doing in Planeptune, being part of a high-scale organization, was beyond me.

"Not exactly...not yet, actually. Since you're the current President of the Item Development Department, do you know if there are plans for the prototype weapon?"

Standing in front of me, IF had placed her hands on the brown wooden table and leaned towards Gust.

We were standing in what seemed like Gust's office. It was a very interesting room, being very wide despite being an office room. It was located on the highest floor of the Guild Building.

I could tell it was Gust's room once I saw the door, though. There were free potion samples hanging on a basket on the front, along with a legal document that looked like it made sure that Gust wouldn't be held responsible for whatever negative side effects happen to the sampler. Somehow, it also held a document that would entail that any positive side effects were intended to happen, and that Gust was legally entitled to claim responsibility for whatever happened.

I wasn't stupid enough to try one. Neither was IF.

The room looked fittingly childish, with the color of the walls being light blue. The carpeting was mahogany brown, and it looked very fluffy and soft. When I walked over it, my feet sank into the cloth very slowly. The ceiling was white, with light pink accents all over it.

There were various couches and cushions, each of which had various different designs on them. On the childish table on the right, there was a tea set ready for use.

It was made of white porcelain, clearly, with sky blue accents all over the exterior.

On the various tables, there were ingredients and half-filled potion vials and pots strewn about quite messily.

Gust looked back at IF with eyes that twinkled greedily. I could sense the blackmail and the haggling conspire in the very aura she emitted. She placed both of her elbows on the table, her hands meeting in front of her face. Her gloves, far larger than her actual hands, made it seem more amusing than it was foreboding.

"...I know that the production was suspended for safety purposes."

I felt the surprise emanate from IF, and she widened her eyes appropriately. She opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it and narrowed her eyebrows.

"Okay. Then...do you have access to the original blueprints of the prototype?" IF pressed on, her tone becoming a little more concerned.

"...let Gust make deal with you as member of Inner Guild, Iffy."

I saw IF's eyebrow twitch for an instant at the mention of the nickname, and her expression changed into a slightly more menacing one.

"Not that nickname again, Gust."

"Anyway, here is proposition."

She leaned a little more forwards, and she also beckoned for me to come even closer. I complied, treading the floor cautiously. I moved in closer, and she spoke again.

"Boy, take initiation test for Inner Guild. You will get to see weapon up close anyway, and you will get to use weapon. Try out weapon for trial run. See if weapon will link with mind well. There have been cases of initiates who have not linked with weapon. Worst cases include brain damage, so it be best if you attempt using prototype first."

What she was saying made enough sense for me to reconsider taking the test. IF had begun switching her stare at me with intent eyes, full of some sort of complicated emotion I couldn't really identify.

I sighed deeply.

_Looks like that test will actually be something I have to take after all. _

Gust just looked at me with this scrutinizing look, placing her hands back onto the table and shifting them. I met her gaze, staring into her brown eyes with my own. As I did, her eyes widened in shock. She jumped off of her seat and walked over to me, standing on the table to match my height.

She drew her face closer to mine, making me painfully aware of how cute she was despite being extremely young and short. I tried my best to remain in absolute control of my body, as letting myself blush in front of this child would be a viable way to get me arrested. I took a step back, and she straightened back up and turned to IF.

"...hmm...your eyes are very interesting, boy. Nothing I've ever seen before. Hmm...you'll make interesting test subject. Be sure to bring boy back once test is done, IF." Gust responded before walking to her seat and sitting down.

She nodded silently, and started for the door. I began to follow her when I heard an extremely loud explosion rattle my ears. The building shook around us, and I heard a feminine scream pierce the air near me. My senses picked up on an incoming object, and I instinctively threw my arms out and braced my legs. As soon as my knees got comfortable, I felt a weight slam into my outstretched arms.

It was soft, somewhat light and warm to the touch.

I opened my eyes, only to see IF in my arms. I was holding her in a princess-style carry in order to prevent her from falling. As she locked eyes with mine at near-point-blank, we stared at each other for a good while. Our noses were close enough to touch if one leaned slightly forward, and I could feel her breath on mine.

A few seconds later, a high-pitched scream of embarrassment deafened my ears. In the next few seconds, I felt my cheek burn with intense pain before my consciousness shut down abruptly.

* * *

It's already been a few hours.

Thank to my position in the Guild, I'd managed to secure the chance for Akai to actually take the initiation test. If he actually managed to succeed in the test, he would become a member of the Inner Guild.

Even if he was new, to this world and the way it worked, I had a good and a bad feeling about all of this.

I knew that Akai had extreme skill and potential in his fighting ability, being strong and skillful enough to defeat me trivially. It was almost frustrating because I knew that it took a great gap in ability for him to defeat me so easily.

He was going easy on me that time. I knew he was.

People who take the initiation test simply take several different kinds of tests.

One is a simply physical ability test in the simulation room where he'd be able to test the prototype weapon for himself. He would forced to fight against a preset simulation of a monster. How he fights it, how fast he defeats it, and IF he defeats it all. That was the measurement of that test.

The second test is a test of brains. In order to measure his mental strength and resistance and fear, he will subjected to several different experiences through the use of a simulation. How he responds will affect his grade.

The third test is a test of tactics and teamwork. In order to see how well he can work with fellow guild members, he will be assigned a specific role in a squadron and fulfill the requirements of a certain mission.

The fourth and final test is a written test that will distinguish other abilities that may prove useful.

I felt my fidget a bit in nervousness.

I was one of the leaders of the Inner Guild as one of the _Makers_, and I had managed to procure a position where I was able to watch Akai take the tests. The other people watching are old and new Inner Guild members as well as other unregistered members of the Outer Guild.

To my right, I could see Gust. She was also one of the council, being the Item Development Department President as well, so she was allowed to observe as well.

To my left, Compa watched on with her normal innocent smile. Despite her looks and her other job, Compa was the most skilled medic of the Inner Guild and the head of the _Medical_ branch of the _Support_ branch of the Inner Guild. As such, she was also permitted to watch as well.

"I see that another test is taking place, IF."

A small, yet very wise and aged, voice rang out from behind me. I turned around to greet the source.

A small fairy-like woman who was shorter than most people in the whole of Gamindustri whose sole everlasting companion was a really important book. Knowledgeable of all the affairs in the nation of Planeptune more than anyone else, even the leader of the nation, and smarter than most others.

"What brings you here today, Lady Histoire?" I bowed out of reflex, and the other Guild Members in the observatory room followed my lead. She gestured for us to lift our heads, and I smiled and withdrew my arm.

"I'm simply visiting the Guild today. I heard that there was another initiation test taking place today." She responded and floated to the spot in the air next to my head.

"I see."

* * *

I was now standing the middle of a large square room. The whole place was white, with several levels of windows that were peering down on me.

The floor, ceilings and the walls were all white. Metal, even. It looked like it was meant to protect the whole room from whatever might happen inside.

Suddenly, a loud voice came out over the speakers.

"Um...your name is Akai Gurren, correct?" The voice was a man's, and clearly one who was meant to be telling me what was supposed to be happening. It sounded a little high-pitched in comparison to most men's voices.

"Correct." I responded shortly.

"You will now be handling the prototype weapon that is used to form any weapon you wish. Be careful, as the weapon must link with your mind. If it causes any pain or any kind of negative side effects, be sure to tell me."

As he said that, a small square in the floor suddenly disappeared. A pedestal suddenly rose up to my abdomen's height in front of me.

On it...

There was a syringe.

_A syringe?_

It was filled completely with a completely transparent fluid that shone with the colors of the rainbow as I moved it. Curious, I picked it up with my fingers and moved it closer to my face.

The needle was not even that long. It was around an inch in length and so thin it was almost like paper.

"Please inject that into your bloodstream." The frail-sounding voice instructed, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the idea of an IT worker as I listened to the voice.

I braced myself and stuck the needle into my right arm, injecting the contents straight into my vein.

* * *

"Status of the prototype?"

"According to the information we're streaming out of his bloodstream, it's still trying to settle within his body. So far, it's fusing with no problems."

"Good. How's the mental and physical state?"

"All parameters are functioning as well as they did before he took the serum. No issues here, either."

"This isn't the difficult part yet, guys. Keep an eye out when the mixture begins to enter his brain."

I just stood there in the technical aspect of the observatory room, taking a look at what the scientists and the techies were examining.

From what it looked like, it seemed like they were monitoring his body systems.

I could see numbers, charts and meters all across the screens, monitoring just how successfully it was fusing with his body.

I had a strange feeling about this.

The numbers were steadily increasing.

I felt my eyes widen when the numbers reached 100%.

Likewise, everyone in the room suddenly went silent.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of excited chatter break across the whole room.

I heard buttons being pressed, and the picture of a horribly familiar monster suddenly appeared on the screen.

My mind switched to panic mode, and I ran back to the window. Only one word was scarred into my mind.

_Akai!_

* * *

I felt my eyes widen when a very familiar face materialized in front of me.

A large face like an abnormally sized lizard. Fangs and claws sharp enough to rend humans into bloody tatters. Scales that could deflect metal like wood deflects water.

An _**Ancient Dragon**_

One of the most powerful monsters in Gamindustri ever since the first game up until the last.

_They sure don't know how to hold back, huh?_

I began strafing the dragon cautiously, watching his movements. The dragon was not being aggressive, instead watching me and remaining still. Its large and brown sickle-shaped claws were shining in the light of the simulation room.

Its eyes were monitoring me carefully, and its tail twitched unconsciously.

It seemed...wary of me.

I didn't understand why. I was small fry. I was very miniscule in its eyes, and its predatory instincts should lead to it attempting to eat me.

But it wasn't.

I was later corrected when the dragon roared and breathed fire at me.

I rolled to the left, evading the stream of flames being tossed at me. I felt the intense amount of heat wash over my body as I rolled, and it made my skin immediately break out into a sweat all over.

I was outmatched. Clearly. It was painfully obvious.

I began running circles around the monster, evading its flames by a hairsbreadth. I rolled under its claws and leaped over its tail whenever it attacked me with those as well. It soon turned into a game of endurance where the victor would be clear. Very clear.

I felt my lungs begin to burn after the umpteenth time of evading its path, and I skidded to a stop behind it. I couldn't afford to run away forever, but anything on the level of hand-to-hand was practically useless on an Ancient Dragon. I had to use a weapon.

But that needle ended up injecting me with the prototype of a weapon that I didn't know how to use.

"Akai Gurren!"

Suddenly, the squeaky voice of the man from earlier blared over the speakers and circulated the room, catching both my attention and the attention of the powerful monster in the room.

Both of our heads swiveled around in reflex, in an attempt to find the source.

"Imagine the weapon you want to use!"

I narrowed my eyebrows at those words.

_Is it like those fantasy action stories where the hero was able to materialize the weapon of his choice simply through his imagination and willpower? Is that why it was in the form of a serum I had to inject into myself? _

Thinking back on it, it seemed somewhat likely. If I abandoned all pretenses of the real world's common sense and realism, that is.

I held out my hand and focused on an image in my head. The image of a classic weapon that my ancestors and my people were extremely fond of. In a small explosion of pixels, I felt the handle come into being under my touch, and I placed strength into my fingers and wrapped them around the hilt.

Whipping the weapon out of the air and into my other hand, I admired it. It wasn't anything fancy.

Just a normal two-handed _katana_.

I tightened my grip around the sheath and unsheathed the blade, admiring the light that sparkled off of the shining steel. I swung it experimentally, and the sword whistled and hummed delightfully as it sliced through the air. Light and strong.

_Perfect. _

I held my blade out forward and aimed it at the monster's face, and it glared back at me with a predator's eyes. I heard the room suddenly whistle, as if a massive vacuum cleaner had begun to work on it. It was the sound of the inhaling of the Ancient Dragon.

I felt the entire room shudder, and the lack of air suddenly became very pronounced.

I mustered a good amount of my strength, pushing it all into my legs, and leaped to the right. I felt the pain spike up my shoulder as my jump took me all the way to the wall, and I hit it hard.

I'm glad I leaped that far.

Instantly, the entire room to my left was coated and painted in a sea of fire. The heat rushed over my face and my body, and I squinted my face in the face of the intense brightness of the flames.

Ignoring the flames, I braced myself and jumped onto the wall and began running forward on it. Admiring the ninja-like footwork that would never work back on Earth that I was managing to pull off, I sprinted forth and closed in on the Ancient Dragon.

My eyes ran over its whole body, scanning for weaknesses or specific points I could attack that would injure it severely. As they did, my eyes fixed onto a small patch of pixels that were located at the base of its tail.

If there was anything that screamed the word "weakness", this was it.

I pushed myself off the wall and rolled to cushion my fall, landing directly next to its left leg. It wasn't done breathing fire, and I could feel the room temperature soar up to levels that could make me pass out if I were to let it go on uninterrupted.

I focused on the patch of pixels.

It was as if it hadn't managed to materialize all the way, and this particular part was like a gap in the flesh of the creature that was constantly letting out miniscule pixels. The inside of the patch, where the body of the tail would normally be, was blue and composed of pixels.

I swung my sword at it, striking the inside of the gap as hard as I could.

Instantly, the room went from its red, blue and orange color to its original white paint job as the creature suddenly howled and stopped the stream of flames.

I jumped away as the tail of the creature dropped onto the floor and dissolved into blue particles, jumping onto the wall and kicking off of that towards the face of the howling monster.

I spun horizontally and performed a sideways slash to the dragon's snout, and I felt the blade cut very swiftly and easily through the creature's skin. I planted my feet onto the Ancient Dragon's nose and leaped off of that, somersaulting once before landing on the floor.

If a dragon could glare at you with hatred, then I'm pretty sure that this one would've been glowering with it.

I held out my other hand in the air, and I wrapped my fingers around another handle. I whipped another _katana_ out of the air, this one not having a sheath. I crossed both and stared back up at the menace towering above me.

* * *

I was in full out panic mode.

"Akai!" I heard myself scream as I slammed my fists onto the glass window separating him from me. I turned back to the scientists who were now murmuring and chattering amongst themselves, not paying heed to the scene below. Frantically, I looked to the nearest one and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"He's going to die down there if we don't do something! He hasn't fought anything yet, and you put an Ancient Dragon in the same room as him!"

The scientist stared blankly at me, as if he weren't sure what to say in response. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see a familiar face.

She smiled at me with her signature, somewhat air-headed, grin and let her fist fly at the window. The glass, having been reinforced to withstand great impacts and damage, shattered and flew outwards at the impact of her punch. Without a second thought, she somersaulted out of the window, her red scarf fluttering in the wind as she did.

I sighed and drew my Qatars, following her. I leaped out of the window and eyed the Dragon on my way down.

_He can't beat that thing on his own._

* * *

I heard the sound of glass shattering and a really loud yell. I looked up, and I spotted who the voice belonged to.

Blue hair, a red scarf, black leather suit and yellow goggles that she never really wore.

It was one of the _Makers _and one of the stronger ones in combat, the Hero of Justice (or what she liked to call herself), Nisa.

"Taste the power of my Justice Kick!"

With that yell, she descended onto the Ancient Dragon from behind with a glowing foot and performed a falling ace kick onto its back.

It looked painful, that's for sure. The yellow light left behind a trail that remained in the air for a good while before it faded away.

The dragon roared in pain and attempted to turn around, trying to strike her in midair with its large brown claws. She kicked off of the dragon's back and somersaulted out of the path of the attack, jumping off the wall and rolling under the dragon's legs and sprinting over to me.

"Hey there! I'm Nisa, the free-roaming spirit of justice who helps those in need!" She said cheerily, breaking the tense and cautious atmosphere. I couldn't help but smile reflexively and wave at her in a friendly manner. She responded in a friendly manner as well, waving and even flying at my hand to hit it for a high five.

I couldn't help but think that it was somewhat unexpected and expected as well.

"Why are you here? This is my test."

"Actually, something seems to have gone wrong with the testing and the scientists upstairs. They're all in a panic that is also mixed with some sort of excitement. I only understand that you could die down here if no one comes down to help you." She responded, tightening her gloves.

"Die?" I responded, the tension in the word being heavier than the moment Nisa had said it.

"Yeah. It's weighing pretty heavily on her mind too." She pointed upwards, and I followed the direction where her finger pointed.

IF was running down the wall where I could see a broken window, her Qatars shining and displayed from her massive coat sleeves. Within the span of a few seconds she reached the floor and ran over to us.

"Akai! Are you alright?" Her eyes were wavering in place.

She must have been really worried.

"I'm fine." I said, and I placed my hand on the top of her head and patted her like a dog. She turned red and batted away my hand with the side of her Qatar.

"In any case, you can't beat that thing on your own!" IF said, facing the Ancient Dragon and taking her battle stance.

I smiled and gripped my two _katanas_ harder, throwing my gaze back to the creature that loomed over us. It roared back at us menacingly, and I felt my pulse quicken in response. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Nisa's right arm glow with yellow light as she took her own fighting stance.

_Who knew my first fight was going to be against an Ancient Dragon?_


	5. Letter of Apology

_I just want to apologize for not writing a new chapter for a while, and to have kept you waiting for so long. I'm still a student, so school has been taking up my time for a while. And aside from the homework, I got way too hooked on Injustice: Gods Among Us for a while. I DID get it for my birthday, but that's besides the point. _

_I ask you for forgiveness, as this is a shame on me as a writer. But not to worry, because I have decided to prioritize things and write. _

_To make it up to you readers, I will be posting new chapters within the next two weeks. I hope you look forward to my work, and I thank you for reading up until this far with my stories. _


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